Grant that waiver india’s defence ties with russia shouldn’t be sanctioned by the us china’s the main threat

Grant that waiver india’s defence ties with russia shouldn’t be sanctioned by the us china’s the main threat

Recently, two US senators who are co-chairs of the India Caucus, wrote to President Joe Biden explaining why he should insulate India from the fallout of CAATSA (Countering American Adversaries Through Sanctions Act). Enacted in the US in August 2017, it aims to prevent revenue flowing to the Russian government. It’s a crude tool that hurts both friend and foe. India is an ally that fell within CAATSA’s purview as it had signed an agreement with the Russian government in 2016 to buy the S-400 air defence system.

Biden should take a long-term view of strategic ties with India and also America’s emerging challenges. This calls for a waiver. While India has been diversifying its military equipment procurement, Russian origin military platforms are still dominant. This means India-Russia defence ties will continue. Also, the S-400 was chosen because it’s the most suitable for India’s needs. This air defence missile has been bought by China too. However, it’s China’s own technological advancement rather than its imports that are leading to reassessments of where its strategic rivalry with the US stands. In August, China tested a hypersonic missile that orbited the globe before heading towards its target.

Mark Milley, chairman of the joint chief of staff in the US, wondered if it was almost China’s “Sputnik moment”. India too has worked extensively on a missile development programme, with the Agni-5 missile being test-fired this week. This surface-to-surface missile has a range of up to 5,000 km and provides the possibility of a second strike capability. In the fast growing strategic rivalry between the US and China, the former needs to take a long-term view. Tying down a fellow Quad member through an ill-conceived sanctions programme meant to hurt Russia will be counterproductive. Biden should grant India a waiver and work on deepening defence ties.